WINDRUSH CYMRU
Ein Lleisiau. Ein Straeon. Ein Hanes.
Our Voices. Our Stories. Our History.
Windrush: The Back Story
In June 1948, Britain had just begun to recover from the devastating effects of the Second World War. To fulfil Britain’s post war recruitment shortages, the British Government extended an invitation to its British colonies overseas, offering work and an opportunity for a better life.
The 21st of June 1948 is landmarked as a day that changed Britain’s social landscape forever. At around 4am in the morning after 30 days at sea, the former cruise liner ship, the SS Empire Windrush, arrived at Tilbury Dock in Essex.
The SS Empire Windrush ship carried around 1000 passengers from Commonwealth countries in the Caribbean, who were responding to Britain’s invitation ‘…to help rebuild the Motherland’. The next day on the 22nd of June 1948, they disembarked and began their new lives. Being citizens from countries originally colonised by the British Empire, they saw themselves as British.
The diverse people from different parts of the Commonwealth are collectively known as the ‘Windrush Generation.’
June 2019 saw the launch of Race Council Cymru’s project entitled: Windrush Cymru – Our Voices, Our Stories, Our History funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund. The project is delivered in partnership with National Museum of Wales, Wales Millennium Centre, People’s Collection Wales, Windrush Cymru Elders, and Black History Wales 365. With support from Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and Gower College Swansea.
The project directly responds to a call from Elders of the Windrush Generation who wanted to ensure that the legacy of their generation is captured and retained for posterity. This project is about collecting, recording, documenting, sharing, archiving and celebrating the contributions of the Windrush Generation who came to the UK between 1948 and 1988. Although the Windrush period of immigration is usually documented as between 1948 and 1973, this project extends the period by 15 years to include the experiences of more citizens who moved to UK, and eventually Wales, in response to Britain’s post-war recruitment drive.
Learn More Here
Films showing in conjunction with our Windrush exhibition:
The Stuart Hall Project, Saturday 9 April, 5.00pm.
Pressure, Tuesday 3 May, 7.45pm
